All eyes were on the Eden's Zero. Hermit was back into the fray and she was angered at Geno's sacrifice. She was mad at herself, for allowing herself to get hacked by Hubert in the first place. Because of that mistake, Geno and Omega put their lives on the line to protect her. She absolutely could not let this go to waste. "YOU'LL PAY, HUBERT!"
"Sounds like they're finally back in action!" Max was glad, because dealing with Hubert like this was starting to become a little much.
"What happened in there...?" Athena questioned. But there was no response. That said, Hermit's enraged tone told a very heavy story...
"Oh, you're back." Hubert hardly gave the Eden's Zero a second glance. Elsie and Justice both circled Hubert's enormous Knight Gear at once. The two of them took separate sides and pointed their arms forward, multiple golden lights appearing within the Obsidian Cosmos.
"GRAND CHARIOT! The two of them exclaimed at once. Multiple golden beams converged on Hubert at once for a massive explosion. A thick cloud of smoke appeared around the Knight Gear from the explosion and everyone peered into it. Unfortunately for the Alliance, Hubert's mech had a shield around it, preventing it from sustaining any damage.
"Damn!" Justice grunted.
"Still nothing..." Elsie grit her teeth.
"We've slowly running out of options against this behemoth." Victory hated to say it. Hubert's tactical prowess was getting the advantage of their numbers.
"Eraser..." Holy began.
"I just need a few more seconds..." Eraser had to bide his time after missing his shot from earlier. He had one more opportunity to punch a hole through Hubert's defenses, but after that...it would be up to everyone else.
"That is not time I will allow you to have." Hubert said while drawing his sword forward. He swung it down, only to clash with both Athena and Kamara, in the Steel Sorcerous and Iron Maiden stopping him mid swing. "All you do is delay the inevitable. This battle is long since over."
"This battle is going to end!" Hermit exclaimed. She took a little too long because she was indisposed, but this was the moment that was up to her. She pressed a button, using Ano's Snakes as a gateway...and hacked Hubert's Knight Gear. Because Hubert was stationed in the main ship within the Galactic Fleet, it served as the central control for his gigantic Knight Gear. And now that it was hacked...
"What...!?" Hubert realized he couldn't move his Knight Gear the way he wanted to. "What's going on...?"
"You've been hacked again!" Ano said while sticking his tongue out. "You didn't notice it because my snakes blended in to your program. But since this encounter began, you've been under our thumb this whole time!" Ano then pressed a button himself, causing the Knight Gear to completely lose all power, leaving it a sitting duck. "Now, everyone!"
"Finally." This was the moment Eraser was waiting for. He was back outside of his ship with his Ether Gear active, pointing a hand towards the immobile Knight Gear. "Let's get rid of this thing." He fired a white beam towards the Knight Gear, his power completely punching a hole through the entire right side of it. Not only that, but it completely destroyed the right arm of the Knight Gear, meaning Hubert was now without his sword as well. That was truly the most Eraser could muster in this moment, and he returned inside his ship. "It's all up to you now."
"Gladly!" Athena spun around while swinging her staff forward. "Celestial Fireworks!" A small blast of Ether collided against the immobile Knight Gear, and then exploded brightly, throwing it backwards.
"Gaaaah!" Hubert was rattled about, helplessly as he tried to get things started once again.
"Now we're gonna have some fun! Devil's Wheel!" Max was up next, multiple guns appearing around the Knight Gear, beginning to bombard the Galactic Elite with a nonstop barrage of bullets.
"Nightmare Wheel!" Kamara spun around, her sword imbued with the power of her Nightmares, slashing the Knight Gear to knock it back further.
"Melty Kiss!" Holy's ship fired off a beam of acid, used from her Ether Gear, to blast the Knight Gear as well.
"Pleadies!" Elsie and Justice combined their Ether into a gigantic sword of light, which stabbed the center of the Knight Gear and ran it clean through.
Cure, Justice, Elsie, and Feather's ships aided in the continuous bombardment. This one opening was all they needed and it was finally paying off! While Hubert was being attacked by all members of the Alliance, Hermit was charging the Eden Zero's main cannon. Hubert was effectively a sitting duck, and with all the rage left in her wounded heart, took aim at their target. "This is it, Hubert! This one's for Geno and Omega!" And then, the cannon fired, sending a massive blast towards Hubert's Knight Gear to finish it off. As the blast cut through space...
The eyes of the Knight Gear flashed red, and the left arm was held out. The Knight Gear started to move, much to everyone's surprise! "Did you really think it would be that easy!?" The beam of the Eden's Zero collided against the open palm, unable to push through! Hubert had a sinister grin as the Knight Gear regained power, despite its damages.
"It's still moving!?" Ano gasped. "How!? We shut you down!?"
"You did! But every single ship in the Galactic Fleet can operate on its own network. All I did was disconnect the main one and use a different ship in its place as a proxy! You may have hacked the main ship, but the network is a different story, isn't it!?" Hubert exclaimed. "This Knight Gear is one gigantic server with multiple points of entry and exits. All you did was find one, but that wasn't enough!"
"Shit..." Ano grunted. This wouldn't have been a problem if Hermit wasn't indisposed...!
"Not to mention..." As Hubert trailed off, the palm began to emit its own Ether Beam...much larger in scale to the one the Eden's Zero was releasing. The two beams clashed, but the Eden's Zero was clearly being overpowered. "I am more than willing to exhaust absolutely everything in my arsenal to ensure your defeat!" It was the power of dozens upon dozens of spaceships, being forced into one single blast. A blast this big would consume everything around it if it suceeded in landing its target!
"If the Eden's Zero can't stop that...!" Jesse began to sweat. Anyone could see the sheer strength of that beam.
"Shit, shit shit...!" Sister panicked. "Hermit, do something!"
"I am!" Hermit connected herself to the Main cannon of the Eden's Zero, using her Ether to push back! Burst of ether erupted forward, allowing the Eden's Zero to push back against the Azure Knight's own. But it was still a stalemate...one the Eden's Zero was still slowly losing. "Ngh...!?"
"Do you understand your position!?" As Hubert said this, the shockwaves in space started getting stronger. It started pushing everyone back. Everything was at risk of being destroyed at this rate. "You are against the might of an entire Fleet! An army! Did you all really think you could come here and stop Alexei's plan? I was never going to allow it!"
"If you do this, you'll die too!" Elsie exclaimed, using her arms to shield herself from the powerful shockwaves.
"I am not the only person prepared for that! I hold the vanguard for one reason, and one reason alone! To ensure nobody leaves this planet." Hubert said, his glasses shielding his eyes from view. "Everyone in the Galactic Fleet has their own selfish reasons for joining. In the end, our goals aligned...we want Alexei to destroy this universe and create something new. Our lives do not even have to be a part of it. This extends to the Elites, and the Soldiers who have willingly joined him. Everyone in the Galactic Fleet is here for this very reason!"
"Alexei has one hell of a following...!" Victory grunted.
"This is not good." Cure stated. "If things continue at this rate...we will be destroyed."
"We're not going to let that happen!" Ano exclaimed. He tried to fire at Hubert, but the shockwaves were too much. He couldn't even get a steady aim, let alone fire! This was the same for everyone else as well. They were unable to do anything but watch. Hubert was clearly on his last legs, but he was prepared to take self destruct and wipe everything away in the process. "Gah...!"
"..." Holy was beginning to sweat.
"Get behind me!" Athena told Max and Kamara. She had no idea what to do in this situation, but protecting her siblings was always the first priority for her. "This is bad, I don't think my Aegis can protect against this...!"
"Ghhhh...!" Hermit clenched her hand into a fist. She was pouring all of her Ether into this. It wasn't working, she was still losing, and she was getting scared as she could see the beam getting closer. "I can't...fight back...!?"
"Of course you can't!" Hubert exclaimed. "You are a machine! You may have risen your power, but your limit was decided upon your creation! You have no room for growth. No more power to offer. This is the extent of your strength!"
"Don't give up, Hermit!" Couchpo shouted.
Sister grimaced for a moment. The best she could do was Heal Hermit in the process, offering her Ether to help bolster Hermit's own! It was helping a little bit, but it wasn't stopping the overwhelming might that was Hermit. "Damn it...this can't be it...!" If Witch were here...would it make a difference? Or was she just cursed to watch everyone she care about die before her...!?
"I'm sorry, Geno! Omega...!" Hermit closed her eyes. She wasn't giving up, but it was clear she was on the losing end of this fight. She had no choice but to brace what was coming. In a matter of seconds, Hubert would overpower her, and then... "You risked it all for me, but I fell short once again...I'm letting everyone down..." When her rage died down, all that was left was regret...
But then, she felt a hand on her shoulder. For a brief second she turned around, and she thought she saw Geno and Omega. They weren't there, but...
"I'll always be with you."
With her?
...
Wait...
Data. Hermit did a quick search within her databanks, and she could see it. It was small and fragmented, but there was a hint of Megaman's data within her. Was this luck...or maybe, Geno and Omega had faith in her after all, leaving one final part of themselves within her? Regardless...she knew what to do. She had to safeguard this data. She had to protect it. Protect the people around her. The others were on that planet, fighting for their lives and the fate of the cosmos. They needed a ship to return to! The data of Megaman was downloaded into Hermit's memory...and with that, a surge of power well up within her. There was a burst of Ether as Pegasus Wings appeared on her back, and an emerald visor appeared on her forehead. "IT'S NOT OVER YET!"
"Huh!?" Sister jumped back.
"What...!?" Mosco gasped.
"HAAAAAAH!" Hermit cried out as she flooded even more ether into the cannon. It was imbued with ice, which allowed it to push back against the Azure Knight.
"W-What!?" Hubert's eyes were wide at this sudden development! Hermit reached her limit!? How was she continuing to push back like this?! "Where is this power coming from! You're an android, you've reached your limit!"
"There's a difference between you and us, Hubert!" Hermit said with a widening grin. "Right now...you're all alone! You can command all the power in the cosmos, but it means nothing if you're alone! You're fine with erasing the heart? Well, we're not! The hearts of others are the only reason I'm right here, right now! That's not something we're going to let you destroy!"
"It...doesn't matter!" Hubert grit his teeth. Now the tables were turned, and he was the one slowly losing! This couldn't be...!
"The reason you'll never beat us...is because you lack the the heart to understand why we're here in the first place!" As Hermit said this, the two blasts exploded in a stalemate.
"Tch!" Hubert grunted as the Azure Knight recoiled from the impact. But he pointed his arm forward once again. "This time...!"
"There is no this time!" The Eden's Zero already had its cannon supercharged because of Hermit. She was pouring everything she had into this single shot. In this moment, the Star Bringer cannon was being upgraded into something immensely powerful, all for this one, single shot. "SHOOTING STAR!" She pointed her free arm forward, with the image of Geno appearing beside her in that moment. She fired off the shot, a glimmering light piercing through the darkness of space, before running right through the Azure Knight. Hubert's eyes went wide as he felt that impact for himself.
"Guh...!" Hubert coughed blood. But that wasn't the worst of it. The Azure Knight began to freeze over. Whatever was left of it froze and broke apart into indescribable debris. "No! NO! This can't be happening! I can't...loooooooooooose!" Hubert was trying to fight it, but soon, only a small portion of the Azure Knight was left. What used to be the Galactic Fleet was now just junk floating in space, with the command center drifting along...with a frozen vice captain within.
Athena grabbed the cockpit of the Azure Knight and looked at Hubert. "I guess he's cooled down."
"Hahahahaha!" Max laughed. He thought that was the funniest thing in the world. Kamara, however, just groaned. But there was a smile on her face; not one that anyone could see aside from herself, however.
"We did it!" Ano cheered. "That was close as hell, but we beat Hubert!"
"Hahhh..." Holy took a seat, placing her hand on her forehead. "What a stressful endeavor. I thought I was going to get worry lines from all that tension..."
"Excellent work, everyone." Cure said simply.
"Whew..." Feather took a deep breath. That situation was indeed tense, but they managed. She took a look at Cure's ship, curious as to why he wasn't actually in it. No...she already knew the reason, but...
"That was close..." Victory said with a sigh.
"But we somehow pulled that off..." Jesse had never felt more stress in his life.
"WOOO!" Gowen and Hyuga cheered for their victory.
"Not bad, James." Elsie said with a smile, giving Justice a playful nudge. Justice, however, didn't take too kindly to this.
"This is only temporary. Once Alexei is captured..." Justice began, but Elsie was rolling her eyes. "Don't give me that look!"
"Sorry, you're just so predictable." Elsie giggled.
"You were incredible out there, Hermit!" Couchpo was eating from the stress and happiness of it all.
"A wonderful showing!" Mosco added.
"You scared me half to death!" Sister yelled. But she was grinning, because they kicked ass!
"Haaaaah..." Hermit let out a heavy exhale as her body returned to normal. She truly did exhaust every last bit of her ether in that exchange, and then some. She looked behind her shoulder to smile at everyone. For a brief, fleeting moment...she could see Geno and Omega. It was likely just the data within her that allowed this, and it was brief...but they smiled at each other one last time. Geno's sacrifice was not in vain...and it felt like they were able to support each other one last time.
"Thank you, Geno..."